# US 2014/0155778 A1 · Hand-held neuroscreening device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0155778 A1 - Document ID: US20140155778A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/061,786 - Filed: 2013-10-24 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2008-07-17 - Assignees: Prosenex, LLC - Inventors: Boris Golosarsky; James Bernhard; Michael Brown; Craig E. Norton; Matthew G. Rouleau - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140155778A1 ## CPC - A61B 5/483: {by thermal stimulation} - A61B 5/0051: {by applying vibrations} - A61B 5/4827: {assessing touch sensitivity, e.g. for evaluation of pain threshold} - A61B 5/441: {Skin evaluation, e.g. for skin disorder diagnosis} - A61B 5/4824: {Touch or pain perception evaluation (A61B5/4821 takes precedence)} - A61B 5/742: {using visual displays (displays for heart-related electrical signals, e.g. ECG, A61B5/339)} - A61F 7/00: Heating or cooling appliances for medical or therapeutic treatment of the human body (hyperthermia using electric or magnetic fields or ultrasound A61N) - A61F 7/007: {characterised by electric heating} - A61F 2007/0087: {Hand-held applicators} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C) ## Abstract A hand-held neuroscreening device includes an elongate handle having a first end, a second end, and longitudinal axis extending therethrough between the first end and the second end. A head portion is fixedly attached to the first end of the handle. The head portion has a longitudinal axis, a fixed temperature surface extending in a first plane oblique to the head portion longitudinal axis, and a variable temperature surface extending in a second plane oblique to the first plane. A method of using the device is also disclosed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A hand-held neuroscreening device comprising: an elongate handle having a first end, a second end, and longitudinal axis extending therethrough between the first end and the second end; and a head portion fixedly attached to the first end of the handle, the head portion having a longitudinal axis, the head portion having: a fixed temperature surface extending in a first plane oblique to the head portion longitudinal axis; and a variable temperature surface extending in a second plane oblique to the first plane. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The hand-held neuroscreening device according to claim 1, wherein the head portion longitudinal axis extends obliquely relative to the longitudinal axis of the body. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The hand-held neuroscreening device according to claim 1, further comprising an end surface extending between the fixed temperature surface and the variable temperature surface, the end surface being parallel to the longitudinal axis. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The hand-held neuroscreening device according to claim 1, further comprising a vibrating probe extending outwardly from the head portion, away from the body. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) A method of screening for neuropathy, comprising the steps of: (a) using the device according to claim 4, selecting between operating the fixed and variable temperature surfaces and the vibration probe; (b) touching a location on a patient with the device; and (c1) determining whether the patient is able to discriminate between temperature differences between the fixed temperature pad and the variable temperature pad if the step of operating the fixed and variable temperature surfaces was selected; and (c2) determining whether the patient is able to discriminate vibrations if the step of operating the vibration probe was selected. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method according to claim 5, further comprising, in step (b), if the step of operating the fixed and variable temperature surfaces was selected, touching the fixed temperature pad to the location and then touching the variable temperature pad to the location. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method according to claim 6, further comprising, if the patient is not able to discriminate between the temperature differences in step (c1), increasing the temperature difference and repeating step (b). ### Claim 8 The method according to claim further comprising, in step (b), if the step of operating the vibration probe was selected and the patient is not able to discriminate vibrations in step (c2), increasing the vibration amplitude and repeating step (b). ### Claim 9 A method of screening for neuropathy in a patient, the method comprising the steps of: (a) using a single hand-held device, touching the patient in a location with a first temperature pad, the first temperature pad being electronically held at a fixed temperature; (b) using the single hand-held device, touching the patient in the location with a second temperature pad, the second temperature pad being held electronically at a variable temperature, the variable temperature being different than the fixed temperature by a delta temperature; and (c) determining whether the patient can distinguish between the fixed temperature and the variable temperature and, if the patient cannot distinguish between the fixed temperature and the variable temperature, increasing the delta temperature and repeating steps (a)-(c) until the patient can distinguish between the fixed temperature and the variable temperature. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, wherein the variable temperature is less than the fixed temperature. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, where the maximum delta temp is about 20 degrees Celsius. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, wherein the variable temperature is greater than the fixed temperature. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, where the maximum delta temp is about 20 degrees Celsius. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, further comprising, prior to step (a), the step of selecting on the device a temperature mode from an option of the temperature mode and a vibration mode. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, further comprising: using the device, entering the vibration mode and touching the patient with a vibrating probe on the device; and determining whether the patient senses vibrations from the vibrating probe. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, further comprising, if the patient cannot sense the vibrations, pressing a first button to increase the vibrational frequency of the vibrating probe. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, further comprising, viewing an indication on a viewing screen that the vibration mode has been selected. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, further comprising viewing an indication on a viewing screen that the temperature mode has been selected. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method according to claim 18, further comprising the step of displaying the temperature of each of the first temperature pad and the second temperature pad on the viewing screen. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, wherein, when the temperature mode has been selected, the fixed temperature pad is regulated to the fixed temperature and the variable temperature is regulated to the variable temperature, less than the fixed temperature.